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Sonny Vaccaro Net Worth is an American former sports marketing executive who is known for his tenure at Nike, where he signed Michael Jordan for his first sneaker deal. He has also worked for Adidas and Reebok. He founded the ABCD camp, an elite showcase for high school basketball standouts.

1. Nike

Vaccaro’s vast college hoops connections helped him secure the contract with Nike, which was then a running-shoe company looking to break into basketball. He convinced the brand to invest in Michael Jordan and name a shoe after him. Vaccaro also introduced the concept of colleges granting athletes more personal money to cover transportation and other expenses. This was a massive breakthrough that eventually led to a new era of college sports.

After leaving Nike, Vaccaro worked for Adidas and then Reebok. He is credited with convincing Kobe Bryant to sign an endorsement deal with the German sports-apparel giants. Vaccaro also founded the ABCD Camp, an elite showcase of high school standouts, and the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. He currently lives in Santa Monica, California.

2. Adidas

Sonny Vaccaro is a legendary American sports marketing executive. He made a fortune working for Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. He helped Michael Jordan break into the basketball sneaker market and revolutionized the way college coaches viewed their players’ endorsement deals.

Vaccaro also helped sign college basketball coaches like Jim Boeheim, Jerry Tarkanian, and John Thompson to shoe deals. He also founded the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic and ABCD All America Camp, which showcased high school basketball stars including Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and Sebastian Telfair.

Vaccaro and his wife, Pam, live in Santa Monica. They have two children. The couple are also involved in charitable endeavors and run a sports academy for kids with special needs. Vaccaro is the subject of a documentary film called Air.

3. Reebok

Sonny Vaccaro is famous for connecting college basketball players with shoe companies like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. He is credited with signing Michael Jordan’s first sneaker deal, and he also founded the ABCD camp that ran from 1984 to 2007. It showcased top high school basketball talent including future NBA stars like Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant. He is also a founder of the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, which was the first national high school All-Star game.

Vaccaro was criticized for pushing young athletes to sign endorsement deals, which could potentially violate NCAA rules and ruin their amateur status. However, his contributions to the basketball industry have made him a household name. He is a wealthy American businessman with a net worth of $5 million.

4. Kobe Bryant

Vaccaro is famous as the man who signed Michael Jordan to his biggest shoe deal ever, and he has also played a major role in promoting young basketball talent. He founded the ABCD All America Camp, which ran from 1984 until 2007, and many NBA stars got their start through the event, including Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

Moreover, Vaccaro is also an advocate for players’ rights and has worked to address issues involving the treatment of college athletes. He is also a part-owner of the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, which runs high school All-Star games for elite basketball players.

In addition, he has been involved with other businesses and is currently an executive at LegalZoom. His business career has contributed greatly to his net worth.

5. LeBron James

Sonny Vaccaro is best known for signing Michael Jordan to his first shoe deal while working at Nike. After that, he moved on to Adidas and Reebok, helping to launch the careers of other high-profile basketball stars like Kobe Bryant.

The 18-time NBA All-Star is now a billionaire, thanks to another monster year of earnings that totaled $121.2 million before taxes and agents’ fees. Part of the reason is that he’s been more than just a pitchman and has structured deals to take equity in companies like smart gym-maker Tonal and fast-growing Blaze Pizza.

He’s also made a lot of wise investments in sports franchises, including buying a 2% stake of Liverpool FC for about $6.5 million that he converted into 1% of Fenway Sports Group in 2021. He’s the only active NBA player with a deal that size.